Suspension Lift Comparison??

[Curious Hound]

The FA400 should be ok for a 4" lift. It's really too short for a 6" lift.

You're doing the right thing. Ask questions and make sure you understand before shelling out the money.

Just my 2 cents; get the leaf springs with your kit. It's a much better engineering solution than adding blocks.

 

[4x4junkie]

Good to know, seeing your pics really brings that issue to light. I wonder if Duff knows about that problem, would be very easy for their fab guy to fix that.

Indeed it would be (IMO it's the only significant flaw in their kit outside of also having the drop pitman arm issue). I agree with you the rest of the kit is quite well designed.
There was a member on here I think 7 or 8 years ago who had claimed to be an employee of JD... So I mentioned this to him (also showing him those pics). Said he would forward them over to their engineers... Never heard from him since.
Their radius arms still had no gussets or change of design as of 2019, so I don't know what's up (the gusset I showed is on a friend's rig, it was added as a preemptive measure).

On my Skyjacker lift, I recently noticed that I have bent the driver side radius arm bracket. The part that the arm mounts through is pushed back, as if from a hard frontal impact and the rest of the bracket is slightly bent or twisted. If/when it gets worse, I plan to put a heim joint on the end of the radius arm and rebuild the bracket with a double shear design. That should hold it. Not sure if anyone else has seen this issue.

I haven't myself,
Got any pics?

 

[Curious Hound]

Indeed it would be (IMO it's the only significant flaw in their kit outside of also having the drop pitman arm issue). I agree with you the rest of the kit is quite well designed.
There was a member on here I think 7 or 8 years ago who had claimed to be an employee of JD... So I mentioned this to him (also showing him those pics). Said he would forward them over to their engineers... Never heard from him since.
Their radius arms still had no gussets or change of design as of 2019, so I don't know what's up (the gusset I showed is on a friend's rig, it was added as a preemptive measure).




I haven't myself,
Got any pics?

I’ll take some this weekend.

 

[Curious Hound]

I’ll take some this weekend.

These might show the bend. It's hard to get a good picture down there. Almost need to hold a straight edge against the parts to show how they are bent.


This shows the bent part where the radius arm attaches.

Here you can see the bend in the vertical side piece, just forward of the crossbeam.

 

[JMF661]

@JMF661 This is pretty much exactly what I want out of my truck. It is a somewhat daily/ dump run/ hunting rig so it doesn't have to be crazy. Just a little more height so it can clear 33's. Did you get the kit with the radius arms and leaf springs? or just radius arms kit? Also, you say you are going to be going to a 6" coil?? Did the lift still leave the front much lower than the rear and thats what you want to fix, and do you need different shocks with the 6" coils?? Also, you got the HD drop pitman arm...

Would you suggest after knowing now what you know, that a person buy pieces to make their "own kit" on skyjacker or is it better to start with the full kit? Just wondering if it makes more sense to buy all the pieces of the kit but get the HD Pitman arm and the 6" coils to fix problems now instead of buying the whole kit and replacing parts from it later??

Is the HD pitman arm the FA600 instead of the FA400?? Not sure because the website only shows me those two and the FA400 is what the kit comes with.

Sorry if these are dumb questions, I just really want to find the best way to go about it so i'm not wasting time and money on stuff later.

Thank you in advance!!

My kit is the radius arms and rear leaf springs.

Yes the FA 600 is what I ended up purchasing after and replacing the FA 400.

I’m not certain if, or what their pricing would be like on “piecing a kit together” from skyjacker. I suppose, if they would allow one to, I would have rather gotten the FA 600 pitman arm right off the bat, might have saved me a few bucks.

In retrospect, I would have served myself better just getting the six inch kit.

Other guys might know for certain, I’m nearly positive the only difference between the 4 inch and 6 inch kits are the spring heights, and maybe the length on the sway bar links.

Anyway, it’s a pretty cool kit as far as I am concerned, wasn’t too bad to put in and I don’t do any radical off-roading.

 

[Curious Hound]

Other guys might know for certain, I’m nearly positive the only difference between the 4 inch and 6 inch kits are the spring heights, and maybe the length on the sway bar links.

I'm pretty sure that's about it. I think the axle beam brackets are the same. But for 4" you use the upper mounting holes and for 6" you use the lower holes. Longer coil springs for 6".

 

[4x4junkie]

Yes, the only differences in the 4" and 6" kits are the springs themselves and shock lengths. All the brackets (and pitman arm) are the same.

Interesting pics Eric. That is the first time I've seen that happen. I would agree by the looks of it, was from an impact to the left front tire, or maybe having struck an object with the front differential (rock, tree stump, etc.) would do it too.

Looks like it should be fairly easy to hammer that back straight (and/or clamping it in a vise to straighten), and put a couple gussets on there (I see a crack near the bottom also, maybe just the powdercoat?)

 

[Curious Hound]

Yes, the only differences in the 4" and 6" kits are the springs themselves and shock lengths. All the brackets (and pitman arm) are the same.

Interesting pics Eric. That is the first time I've seen that happen. I would agree by the looks of it, was from an impact to the left front tire, or maybe having struck an object with the front differential (rock, tree stump, etc.) would do it too.

Looks like it should be fairly easy to hammer that back straight (and/or clamping it in a vise to straighten), and put a couple gussets on there (I see a crack near the bottom also, maybe just the powdercoat?)

Yes. That's just powdercoat flaking off. If I ever take that bracket off, it will be to completely re-engineer it. Not to hammer it straight. If I do more wheeling like what I did this past Friday, more stuff is going to be bending and breaking. I got a taste of something fun and I'm definitely hooked.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Did you have any bad hits on the serpentine thing at Badlands?

 

[Curious Hound]

Did you have any bad hits on the serpentine thing at Badlands?

No frontal impacts. That was all a wild suspension workout.

 

[4x4junkie]

Yes. That's just powdercoat flaking off. If I ever take that bracket off, it will be to completely re-engineer it. Not to hammer it straight. If I do more wheeling like what I did this past Friday, more stuff is going to be bending and breaking. I got a taste of something fun and I'm definitely hooked.

Sounds like me after the first time I ran Rubicon trail with my Ranger (spit out a front axle u-joint cap during that trip too, but did manage to make it all the way through). That led me to acquire my BII for the shorter wheelbase and a fresh build.

 

[Naddanme]

I was just doing the same research a few months back and went with the 6” SJ. These are 295/70/17 tires (about 33.3” I think) They fit good with out rubbing. I pretty much agree with everything that’s been said. But just want to add my only real complaint with the SJ is it stiffer than I wanted. Not 100% sure how JD compares I’ve heard it’s a bit softer. Unlike most I pretty much got a full 6” of lift. I also did a shackle flip with SJ leaf springs. But my truck is pretty light even with the 4.0 and a winch in the front bumper.

 

[4x4junkie]

The Regular Cab trucks (especially ones with the 6' bed) indeed don't squat the springs down as much as a big Supercab does.

James Duff uses variable-rate front springs. This makes them softer initially, but as they compress, they become stiffer. VR springs IMO work good on a prerunner type build (offering a little more resistance to bottoming out on a landing), though I think linear (or single-rate) springs are better for a trail crawler (allows more upward articulation).

Since yours is a Reg Cab Shortbed, Jeep XJ front springs should be doable on that. Only thing is you'll need to have your steering linkage all in proper order before you try experimenting with softer springs, otherwise things will get ugly quick (see the 2nd link in post #5 of this thread).

 

[Naddanme]

I’d like to try the JD springs. But right now I’m just looking to finish the build and enjoy it. Sorry for the thread Jack